Amazonian Indigenous Leaders Call for Suspension of Construction License for Belo Monte Dam
Indigenous leaders representing six tribes affected by the Belo Monte Dam complex along the Amazon's Xingu River sent a letter today to President Dilma Rousseff and other government authorities calling for immediate suspension of the controversial project's Installation License. The letter – signed by more than sixty indigenous leaders from 16 villages and endorsed by some of Brazil's leading human rights and environmental groups – describes how dam construction has raced ahead, while legally-required measures to mitigate and compensate the project's impacts have not been implemented by the government-led consortium Norte Energia.
The indigenous leaders, representing the Xikrin, Juruna, Arara, Parakanã, Kuruaya and Kayapó tribes, are leading an occupation by approximately 300 people at the main earthen coffer dam that cuts across channels of the Xingu River. The occupation began on June 21, in the midst of the Rio +20 conference, halting construction at the site. The majority of the occupiers come from a region of the Xingu downstream of Belo Monte that will suffer from a permanent drought provoked by the diversion of 80% of the river's flow into an artificial dam to feed the powerhouse.
The indigenous leaders are demanding that construction on the project be halted until Norte Energia and the government can put in place effective programs and measures to address the impacts of the dam on local people. Such impacts include loss of fishing and hunting resources, loss of river navigation and access to Altamira for healthcare and education, and increased incidence of diseases. Today, seventy Xikrin Kayapo leaders arrived in Altamira for a second series of talks between the indigenous communities and Norte Energia.
Click here to read a letter from indigenous peoples (in Portuguese).
Xingu Vivo, 9.7.2012
Indígenas exigem que Ibama e Funai retirem licença de Belo Monte
Documento enviado a orgãos federais lista ilegalidades cometidas pelo empreededor. Xingu Vivo reafirma apoio ao movimento indígena e considera que denuncias são suficientes para comprovar inviabilidade de Belo Monte
Após 18 dias de ocupação da ensecadeira do canteiro de obras de Pimental, iniciada dia 21 de junho em função do descumprimento das medidas de proteção e mitigação de impactos previstas no licenciamento da usina, indígenas afetados e ameaçados pela construção de Belo Monte decidiram protocolar no Ibama e na Funai um documento de denúncia das ilegalidades cometidas pela Norte Energia. Segundo advogados e juristas que acompanham o caso, estes descumprimentos devem levar a empresa à perda da licença de construção de Belo Monte.
Amazônia, 6 de julho de 2012
Indígenas continuam ocupação em canteiro de obras de Belo Monte, no Pará
Mais de 300 índios acampados no sítio Pimental, no Rio Xingu, desde 21/6, prometem só sair depois que sejam cumpridas as condicionantes. A Funai informou nesta quinta (5/7) que recomendou o início da execução do Plano Ambiental (PAB) indígena e que continuará a reapresentá-lo nas aldeias da região. Os manifestantes têm nova reunião marcada com a Norte Energia na próxima segunda-feira, 9 de julho
